Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Introduction

If you are a Registered Psychotherapist in the Qualifying category of membership, in addition to meeting the professional obligations mentioned, you have other requirements you need to be aware of and to satisfy. These include:

writing the Registration Examination;

Terms, Conditions and Limitations on your practice as a Qualifying member;

The Registration Examination

In order to fulfil the requirements for registration as a Registered Psychotherapist (RP), all Qualifying members are required to pass the Canadian Professional Standard for Counselling and Psychotherapy (CPSCP): Entry to Practice Competency Assessment (commonly referred to as the “Registration Examination”). The Exam assesses a practitioner’s knowledge of various key entry-to-practice competencies and their information-gathering and decision-making skills in a variety of typical scenarios and simulations. You may find it helpful to review the Entry-to-Practice Registration Examination Resource Manual.

More information can be found in the Registration Exam section of our website. If you have questions about the exam, please contact us at info@crpo.ca.

Conditions for Completing the Registration Examination

The first attempt at the Exam must be made no later than 24 months following the date that a complete application for registration as a Qualifying member, and fee, are received by the College. There will be at least one sitting of the Registration Exam each year (but usually there are two, one in the spring and one in the fall).

A candidate must successfully complete the Exam in no more than three attempts.

In the event of two failed exam attempts, the third and final attempt is permitted only after the Qualifying member has completed upgrading activities, if any, required by a panel of the Examination Committee. The third attempt must be made no later than five years after the date of application for registration in the Qualifying category, unless additional time is permitted by the Examination Committee, in exceptional circumstances.

Qualifying members are permitted a maximum of five years from the date that a completed application and fee are received by the College in which to satisfy ALL the requirements for registration as an RP (completing clinical experience and passing the Exam).

A member who fails the Exam has the right to appeal to the Examination Committee. Grounds for appeal are limited solely to the question of whether the process followed in sitting the examination was fair. Should an applicant require an extension to the stated timeframes in which to write the Registration Exam, as a result of an unforeseen circumstance, they can lodge an appeal to the Examination Committee. Common exceptions may include parental leave, family emergencies and serious illness.

Once you have successfully passed the Registration Examination and completed all clinical requirements (450 DCC hours and 100 clinical supervision hours), you will be eligible to transfer registration categories from Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) to Registered Psychotherapist (RP). Members who are deemed eligible to transfer Registration categories will have 30 days from the date they become eligible to transfer to complete the registration category transfer process. This process involves payment of transfer and pro-rated registration fees, as well as completion of the Registration Category Transfer Checklist.

If an eligible member does not successfully complete the transfer of registration categories within the 30 day time-frame, the following steps will be taken:

Members will receive a letter confirming they have not fulfilled their requirement to transfer registration categories and will be invoiced a late fee.

A member will be given an additional 30 days (from the date the message/letter is sent to complete the transfer process, including payment of the late penalty.

After the 30 day extension period, members who have still not completed the registration category transfer process will have their registration administratively suspended for non-payment of fees. The conditions associated with suspension will apply and will be reflected on the Public Register.

An additional fee of $350 +HST will be invoiced to lift the suspension.

Terms, Conditions and Limitations

All Qualifying members will find their profile on CRPO’s Public Register indicates that they are practising with a Term, Condition and Limitation (or TCL) on their Certificate of Registration. It is an additional TCL of every Qualifying Certificate of Registration that the member must at all times:

(a) practise psychotherapy with clinical supervision; and

(b) be actively pursuing the completion of any of the requirements set out in clause 10 (a), (b) or (c) that the member has yet to complete unless the Registrar has provided the member with permission in writing to interrupt the pursuit of one or more of those requirements due to exceptional circumstances. Clause 10 (a), (b) or (c) refers to successfully completing the Registration Examination, and clinical experience in psychotherapy. That includes at least 450 hours of direct client contact and at least 100 hours of clinical supervision where that clinical supervision relates to those hours of direct client contact.

Once you believe you have met the clinical experience requirement, please contact CRPO staff to find out the number of hours that were approved as you will need to provide an official letter from a clinical supervisor or manager confirming any hours you have completed since approval.

Direct Client Contact (DCC)

If you have accumulated additional DCC hours, we will need a letter from your employer or clinical supervisor confirming these hours. If the DCC hours were accumulated in a private practice, a letter from a clinical supervisor or colleague is usually sufficient. If you accumulated DCC hours from multiple practice sites, please provide a letter for each site.

The letter must be signed and dated and include the number of DCC hours accumulated since you submitted your application; the start and end dates (Day, Month, Year) (if applicable); contact information and credentials for the signatory.

Members should scan and upload a copy of the letter(s) to the “Documents” tab of your CRPO user account and send a message to let staff know this has been done so we can review it.

Note: We do not receive notification when documents are uploaded.

Clinical Supervision

The letter should be signed and dated and include start and end dates (if applicable) for the clinical supervision hours, the type of clinical supervision completed (individual, dyadic or group), the job title/position of the signatory along with a contact phone number and email for verification purposes.

Please visit the Supervision page of our website for more information about clinical supervision requirements.

To view your profile on the Public Register, please visit the Find a Registered Psychotherapist page of CRPO’s website. The Public Register contains information about all CRPO members and allows anyone to confirm whether a person is a member of the College, and to learn the person’s registration status, discipline history (if any) and their employment information.

It is important for all members to regularly check their information on the Public Register to ensure that all the information listed is up-to-date and to alert CRPO as soon as possible of any changes. You may use the Public Register Update form to do so.

Misuse of Title

As mentioned in the Professional Obligations section, CRPO members must use the titles conferred by the College when acting in a professional capacity. While a Qualifying member of CRPO it is important that you display this title correctly. The appropriate title to use is “Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)” or “RP (Qualifying).” No other abbreviation is acceptable.

Professional Liability Insurance

Qualifying members are not exempt from the professional liability insurance (PLI) requirement and must maintain professional liability insurance in the amount and in the form required under CRPO’s By-laws. Members must provide the College with written details within two days of becoming aware of not having PLI as required under the By-laws. The Registrar may suspend a member if they do not have the coverage required.

ABOUT US

The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) regulates its members in the public interest. CRPO is established under the Psychotherapy Act, 2007 and the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991.Read more

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ACCESSIBILITY

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